The Polish Journal of Sports Medicine (Polish J Sport Med), an official organ of the Polish Society of Sports Medicine (Polskie Towarzystwo Medycyny Sportowej, PTMS), is a peer-reviewed medical journal, dedicated to the broadly conceived interdisciplinary specialty of sports medicine. It publishes papers on health protection for people engaged in physical activity – from physical education to competitive sports, from recreation to health training, and from preven­tion of diseases to their treatment and rehabilitation. The major focus of the journal is on a physically active human, both in good and poor health, at all stages of life. Its subject of interest includes not only all the physiological and pathological processes that occur under the influence of physical activity or as a result of the lack of such activity in all body systems and organs, but also global health issues, prevention and treatment of diseases of affluence, and so­­cial determinants of health, as well as issues of complementary and alternative medicine in relation to human physical activity.

The Scientific Committee includes specialists from several countries around the world, representing various medical specialties, a guarantee of the high scientific quality of the papers published.
In accordance with the scientific journal ranking, for each manuscript published in the Polish Journal of Sports Medicine authors are granted 6 points by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
The journal is indexed in Index Copernicus (http://www.indexcopernicus.com/), and also in Sport Discus, Sports Docu­mentation Monthly Bulletin, Scopus, Central and Eastern European Academic Source, EMBase collection, and Polish Medical Bibliography (GBL). The Polish Journal of Sports Medicine is published quarterly (online version available at: www.medycynasportowa.edu.pl).

The Polish Journal of Sports Medicine is published in a bilingual English/Polish version. Authors whose articles written in Polish have been accepted for publication are required to have the manuscript translated into the English language. The Editorial Board of Polish J Sport Med has made it possible for the authors to order a paid translation done by professionals cooperating with the journal, which is a guarantee of high quality specialist translation. Articles written in English (submitted by international institutions) are not translated into Polish.
Original articles, review articles, case studies, short reports, postings to the discussion forum, historical articles, re­ports, reviews, announcements, and letters to the Editor should be submitted exclusively by the electronic panel www.medycynasportowa.edu.pl (go to the tab Authors Pathway, and then My submissions).

1. Original articles – articles reporting the previously unpublished results of completed scientific experiments con­ducted by the authors, confirming or refuting a clearly defined research hypothesis. It is anticipated that the majority of the articles published in a given issue will belong to this category. Original articles must contain the following: background, material and methods, results, discussion, conclusions, and references.

2. Review articles – articles presenting the current state of knowledge on a given issue, with emphasis on theoretical and practical approaches to the problem, current controversies, or unsolved research problems, including a well chosen bibliography. Review articles are generally commissioned by the editors, but in the case of a particularly interesting and well written manuscript the editors may accept a submission.

3. Case studies – articles describing in detail the diagnosis and/or treatment of 1–3 patients, emphasizing unusual or difficult features of therapy in the case(s) described, within the thematic scope of Polish J Sport Med.

4. Short reports – brief descriptions of selected clinical solutions to particular problems, or new discoveries that are not yet confirmed experimentally.

5. Historical articles – presentation of important figures, movements, and advances in the field of sports medicine, especially in Poland.

6. Reports, reviews, announcements.

7. Discussion forum/Letters to the Editor – the author‘s justified opinions on a given subject and/or recom­men­dations for clinical practice, legal and professional matters, physician–coach and physician–athlete relations, etc. Readers’ comments on recent Polish J Sport Med articles and issues of importance to readers.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

Preparing the manuscript for submission
• The total length of the manuscript (including figures and tables) should not exceed 10 standard pages of 1800 characters.
• The editors reserve the right to edit the manuscript for formatting.

1. Title page
• the full name of each author (without academic titles),
• the organizational affiliation of each author (workplace),
• the nature and extent of each co-author’s contribution to the preparation of the manuscript, which should be specified according to the following categories:
A. study design;
B. data collection;
C. statistical analysis;
D. data interpretation;
E. manuscript preparation;
F. literature search;
G. funds collection.
• the full title of the article in both Polish and English,
• in the case of titles containing more than 10 words, a title alias,
• 3–6 key words selected in accordance with the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) system (http://www.nlm.nih. gov/mesh/meshhome.html),
• the full name, address, telephone and/or fax number, and e-mail address of the first author, responsible for the preparation of the manuscript for print,
• the sources of any material support, in the form of grants and subsidies (citing the source and grant number), subventions, equipment, medicines, etc. (if any), or the authors’ financial and personal relationships that might bias their work (see below: Conflict of interest).

2. Summary (applies to original articles)
The summary should be in a structured form, not exceeding 230 words, and should consist of four paragraphs, labeled:
• Background: the purpose of the article or research, the primary thesis;
• Material and methods: a brief description of the research; in the case of a review or opinion article, a charac­terization of the literature; for a case study, a brief description of the patient, the main parameters measured, etc.;
• Results: the most significant results achieved;
• Conclusions: the most important conclusions derived by the authors from the results presented in the article.
Strict compliance with the above-described structure is not required in the case of articles other than original research articles.

3. Structure of the text (applies to original articles)
The text of the article should be divided into six main sections, complemented by two additional ones, if necessary:
• Background – should give the scientific and/or clinical rationale for researching the given topic, the primary issues and controversies, an explanation of the aim of the study and the primary thesis;
• Material and methods – should contain essential information regarding how the experiment or research was conducted, including characteristics of the experimental and control groups, clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria (age, gender, etc.), randomization, and the randomization and masking (blinding) method used. The proto­col of data acquisition, procedures, investigated parameters, methods of measurements and apparatus should be described in sufficient detail to allow other scientists to reproduce the results. In the case of published methods, the names and appropriate references should be given. A brief description should be provided for methods that have been published but are not well known, whereas new or substantially modified methods should be described in detail. The rationale for using such new or unknown methods should be discussed, along with a balanced evaluation of these methods, not omitting their limitations. Drugs and other chemicals should be precisely iden­tified, including the generic name, dosage, and route of administration. Whenever possible, the statistical methods used should be described in detail. Information regarding the patients’ informed consent should be included in the text of the article (see below: Patient confidentiality);
• Results – concisely and reasonably summarize the findings in the form of text, tables and figures arranged in a lo­gical and internally self-consistent manner. The number of tables and figures should be limited to those absolutely needed to confirm or refute the thesis. Data given in graphs and tables should not be automatically repeated in the text (a reference will suffice). The number of observations should be indicated, as well as the number of and reasons for exclusions from the study. Any complications that may occur in treatment or examination should be reported;
• Discussion – should deal only with new and/or important aspects of the results obtained, without repeating in detail data or other material previously presented in Background or Results. The Discussion should focus on the theo­retical implications and/or practical consequences of the findings, including suggestions for further research. The Discussion should compare the results of the present study with those obtained by other investigators mentioned in the text;
• Conclusions – must be linked with the goals of the study. New hypotheses with recommendations for further research should be advanced only when fully warranted and explicitly justified. Broad generalizations and conclusions not supported by the data obtained should be avoided;
• References – chosen for their importance and accessibility, are numbered consecutively in the order of their occur­rence in the text. References first cited in tables or figure legends must be numbered in such a way as to maintain numerical sequence with the references cited in the text. References should be cited using square brackets. Polish authors are required to maintain a balance between the number of Polish references and those in other languages. References to articles in Polish should also include the English title of the paper and the journal. The style of references, which will be strictly observed, is that of Index Medicus. In the case of review articles, the list of references should include 40–50 works cited in the text, out of which a minimum of 75% should have been pub­lished in the last 5 years.

Additional sections:
• Acknowledgements – list all those who have contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship, such as assistants, technicians, or department heads who provided only general support. Financial and other material support should be disclosed and acknowledged;
• Appendix.
Sections should be separated, and their headings centered and boldfaced.
Review articles do not need to follow the format described above, provided that their structure is clear and consistent. If the editors upon review of the manuscript feel that it should be structured, they will ask the author to do so prior to publication.

5. Formatting requirements for the manuscript and illustrations
The manuscript should be sent in the form of electronic files without final formatting (12-point black font, 1.5 line spacing, standard margins).

6. Tables and illustrative material (figures, graphs, diagrams, charts, photographs)
• Titles and descriptions of tables, photographs and illustrations should be given both in Polish and English;
• Illustrative material should be sent separately, in jpg format;
• The position of tables, figures and other illustrative material should be indicated in the text [in square brackets];
• Text in the legends to the tables and figures should not be duplicated in the tables or figures themselves;
• The arrangement of the table should be as simple as possible, without adding unnecessary horizontal or vertical subdivisions;
• Explanations, including the clarification of non-standard abbreviations, should be provided in footnotes under the table, and not in the table itself. Footnotes below the table should be numbered separately, starting from number 1 with each table;
• Care should be taken that each table and figure is in fact mentioned in the text. Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order in which they are first cited in the text;
• If a table or figure has been previously published, the original source must be acknowledged and written permission should be obtained from the copyright holder to reproduce the material, except for documents in the public domain;
• Polish J Sport Med prints black-and-white photographs as standard practice; color photographs may be printed if the author is willing to participate in bearing the additional costs entailed. The fee is agreed with the Publisher of Polish J Sport Med on a case-by-case basis;
• Photomicrographs should have internal scale markers. The symbols, arrows, or letters used in photomicrographs should contrast with the background. If photographs of people are used, either the identity should be masked or written permission should be obtained to use the photograph;
• Measurements of length, height, weight, and volume should be reported in metric units (e.g. meter, kilogram, or liter) or their decimal multiples (e.g. decimeters). Temperatures should be in degrees Celsius. Blood pressures should be in millimeters of mercury;
• All hematological and clinical chemistry measurements should be reported in the metric system in a manner consistent with the International System of Units (Sl). Alternative or non-Sl units should be added in parentheses;
• Use only standard abbreviations. Abbreviations in the title of the manuscript and in the summaries should not be used. The spelled-out abbreviation followed by the abbreviation in parentheses should be used on first mention unless the abbreviation is a standard unit of measurement.

7. Sending the article to Polish J Sport Med
Editors of Polish J Sport Med accept ONLY submissions by e-mail http://www.medycynasportowa.edu.pl/ (Authors Path­wayMy submissions).
• The manuscript (title page, abstracts, body of text, references, etc.) should be submitted as ONE TEXT FILE. Figures, tables, diagrams, and photographs should be provided as SEPARATE attachments in jpg format. The length of the e-mail message should not exceed 10 MB;
• The manuscript should be accompanied by a Cover Letter regarding the article submitted to Polish J Sport Med, together with original signatures of the authors (see below: Cover Letter). The Cover Letter, scanned and signed, should be sent to the editors: www.medycynasportowa.edu.pl.

8. Review procedure
The reviewers for Polish J Sport Med are the members of the journal’s Scientific Committee, as well as independent external reviewers chosen by the editors. The external reviewers for Polish J Sport Med are scientists from Poland and abroad, who are experts in a particular area of knowledge and clinical practice and are not formally members of the journal’s Scientific Committee. If a manuscript is received that does not fall into the area of expertise of the journal but represents a related area, Editor-in-Chief assigns a “super-reviewer” who is a specialist in that area.
Each article submitted to Polish J Sport Med is registered in the article database. The author(s) receive a return
e-mail stating the registration number. Details of the publication procedure can be followed at: www.index­coperni­cus.com.
Received manuscripts are first examined by the Polish J Sport Med editors. They evaluate the article on the basis that it falls within the thematic scope of the journal and choose two independent reviewers not associated with the instit­ution with which the authors are affiliated. A double-blind review process is used. Manuscripts considered unsuitable for publication are returned to the main author without further review. The same applies to the papers that are prepared not in accordance with the instructions (see above); however, they may be re-submitted after necessary correction. Scientific evaluation of the submitted article, based on two reviewers’ opinions, is sent to the author/s. If the reviewers differ in their opinions, Editor-in-Chief assigns a “super-reviewer”, whose decision is binding. The ultimate decision to accept a work for publication is taken after the correction requested by the reviewer has been made. The decision to reject a manuscript lies within the prerogative of the editors and is not subject to appeal. The editors are not obligated to justify their decision. The list of reviewers is published in the last issue of each year.

9. Declarations
The Polish J Sport Med editors endorse the principles embodied in the Helsinki Declaration and expect that all re­search involving humans has been performed in accordance with these principles.
For animal experimentation reported in the journal, it is expected that investigators will have observed the Inter­disciplinary Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Research, Testing, and Education issued by the New York Academy of Sciences’ Ad Hoc Committee on Animal Research. All human and animal studies must have also been approved by the main author’s institutional review board. A copy of the relevant documentation should be included with the manuscript.
Ghostwriting and guest authorship are examples of scientific misconduct. Any identified cases will be disclosed, including notification of appropriate bodies or institutions (authors’ home institutions, scientific societies, associations of academic editors, etc.).
As “ghostwriting” are qualified cases in which someone has made a substantial contribution to a publication, without revealing his/her participation as one of the authors, or without being mentioned in the acknowledgments enclosed to the publication.
“Guest authorship” (“honorary authorship”) are considered situations in which the author’s contribution is insignificant (or does not exist), and yet he/she is the author/co-author of the publication.
The Cover Letter (form to download) should include a statement that:
• the manuscript is original work,
• the research results have not been previously published or submitted for publication,
• all the authors listed on the title page of the manuscript have agreed to its being submitted to Polish J Sport Med.
10. Conflict of interest
Editors of Polish J Sport Med expect that authors of articles will not have any financial interest in a company that makes a product discussed in the article, or in a competing company.
The authors should disclose at the time of submission any financial arrangement they may have with a company whose product is discussed in the submitted manuscript. Such information will be held in confidence while the paper is under review and will not influence the editorial decision, but if the article is accepted for publication, the editors will either agree with the authors how such information is to be communicated to the reader, or decide to forego such action.
Journal policy requires that reviewers and editors reveal in a letter to the Editor-in-Chief any relationships that they have that could be construed as causing a conflict of interest with regard to the author of a manuscript under review. The letter should also include a statement of any financial relationships with commercial companies involved with
a medical product under study.

11. Patient confidentiality
Study subjects should be identified only by arbitrarily assigned initials or numbers. Any information contained in photographs, tables, images, or other illustrations that could serve to reveal the person’s identity should be thoroughly camouflaged or concealed. The faces of persons appearing in photographs should be masked or covered with a black band. If the text or illustrations of an article make it possible in any way to determine or infer the identity of a patient, the authors must supply the written consent of the patient or guardian to publish his/her data, including photographs and radiological images. Details of the race, ethnicity, religion, or cultural background of a study subject should be mentioned only when they are believed to have an impact on the course of the disease and/or treatment discussed in the study.

12. Ghostwriting and guest
authorship

Ghostwriting and guest
authorship are examples of scientific misconduct. Any identified cases will be disclosed, including notification of appropriate
bodies or institutions (authors' home institutions, scientific societies, associations of
academic editors, etc.).

13. Copyright transfer
Upon acceptance of the manuscript for publication, the authors transfer copyright to MEDSPORTPRESS, the Publisher of Polish J Sport Med. Once the article is accepted for publication in the journal, the information it contains cannot be released to the media until the issue in which the article appears has been released for circulation. The article accepted for publication may not be published elsewhere without written permission from MEDSPORTPRESS.

14. Permissions for reproduction
Materials taken from other sources must be accompanied by a written statement from both the first author and the publisher of the original publication in which the materials appeared, giving permission for reproduction in Polish
J Sport Med. In the case of unpublished materials or personal communications permission should be obtained in writing from the person providing unpublished data used in the article.

15. Disclaimer
Every effort is made by the Publisher and the Scientific Committee to see that no inaccurate or misleading data, opinions, or statements appear in any article published in Polish J Sport Med. However, the contents of the articles and advertisements are ultimately the responsibility of the contributor, sponsor or advertiser concerned. Accordingly, the Publisher and the Scientific Committee accept no liability whatsoever for the consequences of any such inaccurate or misleading data, opinion or statement. Readers are advised that any methods and techniques described in Polish J Sport Med should only be followed in conjunction with the drug or equipment manufacturer’s own published literature in the reader’s own country.
The above instructions are in compliance with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (N Eng J Med 1997; 336: 309–15; http://www.icmje.org/index.html).

16. Publication charges
As from No 1/2013 a publication fee of PLN 200 (+VAT) will be charged for each article (regardless of its length) published in the quarterly Polish Journal of Sports Medicine.